Here are stories of some of the people that I met or heard about. Some while working at a hospital set up by the 25 doctors that went from Multan to help the injured. Others were from my trips to villages in central Hazara Division. Some of this may be a tough read.

Zara, Balakot
A very strong willed woman who came with her two young daughters. Both of them lost limbs. Once they were operated upon she refused to stay on to get her own arm operated on. Even thought the doctors reminded her of all the dangers of not fixing her arm. She said her other child was still somewhere in her home village and there was no point wasting time here when she could be looking for him. She left with a broken elbow joint in her right arm.

Mohammad Nazir, Ogrorh Valley
An army man who was in Muzaffarabad till the 6th of October when his unit was relocated. He survived and he said god saved him to give him another chance at life. He said it was an opportunity for him to live a better life and to treat his family better. He was really helpful in putting up the tents we brought along. And forced us to have a cup of tea and mithai before we left.

Khan, Kohistan
This man brought his son from the northern part of Kohistan. (north-west border of Pakistan, close to the pak-tajikistan border) I never thought there would be any injured far up there. He travelled by highly priced transport where he could find it or just by trekking through the mountains carrying his boy in his arms. Despite his own situation he helped us a lot with the loading and unloading of trucks. He said he wanted to please us because he needed a tent for his family for the winter. We made sure he got all that he needed.

Tariq Khan, SUNGI staff
He was the manager or maybe the staff of one of the SUNGI offices up north. He was in Canada and had come back to help the people. He was delivering goods by helicopter and on one such mission as he was trying to disperse goods a large number of devastated hungry people rushed to get the goods. In his efforts to organize everything he was pushed away and died when his head struck the helicopter propeller.

Imtiaz, Battagram
A muscular young man left totally helpless when his house collapsed on him. He lost both feet from above the knee. He was operated upon thrice and four times the stump in his leg bled open. The doctors called him the tiger of Battagram for no man could withstand the pain and suffering he went through. When I was coming back he had been in hospital for 5 days in and out of OT most of the time.

Gul Mohammad, Balakot
This aging man dug out and buried 2 of his sons. He lost his wife as well. He said that his oldest son was my age and he had always been number 1 at school/college. He carried his third son, who lost both his legs on a chair for 12 hours over mountainous terrain before he was rescued by army personal. His son wanted me to operate on him. When I told him I was not a doctor he said he knew that I would surely make him better.

Sameena, Balakot
A 12 month old baby girl, who came in with severe injuries to both her legs. All but her father had survived the quake. She suffered from fits and was diagnosed with Tetanus, she was not given the mandatory TT shot when she was brought in. She was taken to Pindi but failed to make it through. One of the few fatalities that occurred at the hospital. It brought great grief to all of us who tried to help and comfort her mostly because this was a death due to the hospital staff. All patients need to be given a TT shot right away.

Anonymous, Physics student.
A young volunteer whom we all thought was a nurse or doctor by the way she took care of the patients injuries. Day or night there was not a single time when she was not at the hospital. A student from a local university, we were to busy most of the time to get to know ppl working with us personally. We did not see her again after the death of young Sameena whom she had personally tried to help.

The doctors of Nishtar Hospital, Multan
These guys poured their hearts out. They delayed their departure by 2 days because they wanted to treat some more of the injured people. I traveled with them to remote villages to treat those who could not come down to the hospitals. As I write this I know they are working on patient after patient trying to help as many as they can.

Words really cannot do justice to what it was like being amongst these heroic survivors and some fatalities. I wanted to speak with the patients so I could give them mental and emotional support but I was the one who learnt what belief in god and courage in adversity is all about. They gave me faith and hope in the wake of such a tremendous tragedy. They showed me how blessed and lucky I was to be how and where I am today. So wherever you may be, thank god for all, that he has given to you and me and pray to him that he helps these people move on from this disaster.

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